Love Conquers All
by Nina430
Summary: What happens when Evangeline gets pregnant by John? What does this mean for John and Natalie?


Disclaimer: ABC owns the characters.

Chapter 1

Evangeline waited in Dr. Michael McBain's office hoping against hope that he had some good news for her. She played with the long leather straps of her leather purse. What was taking him so long? The wait was driving her crazy.

"Evangeline."

Evangeline looked up and met Michael's dark eyes. She couldn't help but compare them to his brother's icy blue ones. A broad smile spread across the young doctor's face.

"Is...Am I...?" Evangeline had never had a problem getting her words out before, but this was so important to her that it was making her tongue-tied.

Michael grinned. "The test is positive. You're pregnant."

Evangeline's eyes widened. "Oh my God!" She grabbed her stomach. All of her prayers had worked.

Michael chuckled. "Hey, don't hurt my niece or nephew."

"How do you think John will react?"

"To tell you the truth, I...I don't know. He's complicated, but I think he'll be happy once he gets used to the idea," Michael answered truthfully. "You have to tell him as soon as possible."

"I will." Evangeline smiled. "Tonight we're going out to dinner. It's the perfect time to tell him."

John sat at his desk, holding a picture of Evangeline. If he turned his head slightly, he would be staring at a picture of Natalie Buchanan Vega. He had pictures of everyone connected to the Love Center and the cottage tacked up on his cabinet. Unfortunately, Natalie owned that cottage. If anything happened to Natalie, he didn't know what he would do.

John thought about the discussion he'd had with his brother earlier. He WAS bothered by the fact that Natalie was dating Ron Walsch. He was a little...jealous. He hated himself for being jealous. After all, he was with Evangeline, and Natalie did deserve to be happy. The question was--happy with whom? It wasn't really a hard question to answer. He knew in his heart that he wanted to be the man who made her happy. That was why he was meeting with Evangeline tonight. He couldn't be in this lie they called a relationship any longer. He wasn't sure at all about how to go about ending their relationship. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew he had to do what was best for both of them.

He looked at his watch. Time had passed by way too quickly. He was supposed to be having dinner with Evangeline at The Palace in half an hour. It would be their last meal together. Heaving a heavy sigh, he pulled on his suit jacket and left the comfort of his office.

Evangeline spotted John before he saw her. Her heart always skipped a beat when she saw him. Unfortunately, Rex Balsom and Natalie Vega had also just arrived. She was tempted to grab John and leave The Palace, but she refused to let Natalie chase her away.

She had been trying so hard to get pregnant. Two months ago she had promptly stopped taking birth control pills because she was determined to get pregnant. Natalie would never have a chance to take John away from her if she was having his child. Finally, she had won. John would belong to her.

"Hey," John said coming over to her with a serious expression on his handsome face. She didn't know what to make of it. John gently took her arm and led her over to their table.

Evangeline glanced over at the table Rex and Natalie were sitting at. Natalie looked over at the same time, and then quickly looked away. Evangeline smiled to herself. After today, she would never have to worry about Natalie again.

Half an hour into their meal, John finally opened his mouth to speak. "Evangeline..." His eyes were serious and colder than usual. Evangeline even imagined that she saw some frost in them. Whatever he had to say couldn't be good.

"John, there's something I have to tell you," Evangeline blurted out, cutting him off.

John looked agitated for a moment, but he relented and let her speak first. "It sounds serious," he said. About as serious as what I have to say he thought. He tried to read her expression, but he couldn't. With Natalie it was different. He always knew what she was feeling just like she always knew what he was feeling. It was a connection that still had not broken.

"I went to see a doctor a couple of days ago for some tests, and I had to go back today to find out the results," Evangeline said. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. She was SO pleased with herself. "I'm pregnant, John. We're pregnant."

John's mouth dropped open.

Evangeline couldn't stop grinning. "Isn't that great?"

"It's...I...," John didn't know what to say or do. No No No! How can she be pregnant? We always used protection and she was supposed to be on those darned pills. This is a disaster he thought. "I need to think." He stood up. "I'll...I'll call you," he stammered.

Now it was Evangeline's turn to look shocked.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Natalie asked as she and Rex came over. She looked at John with concern, purposely ignoring Evangeline.

John was surprised to see her. "Uh...nothing. Don't worry about it."

"I'm pregnant," Evangeline said, seizing the opportunity to hurt Natalie.

"Pregnant?" Natalie's eyes were wide. She looked at John, but he refused to meet her eyes. It took everything she had in her to not run away--to get out of there now. She wouldn't give the lawyer that satisfaction. "Wow...that's great, right?"

Evangeline nodded, but John looked like his world had come crashing down around him.

"I have to go," he said, rushing out without a word to either woman.

As soon as Natalie got to Llanfair, she ran upstairs to her bedroom. She didn't even realize that her mother and sister had been coming out of the living room and had seen her flight.

Natalie threw herself on her bed and burst into tears.

"Natalie?" Jessica gently knocked on the door before coming in.

"Leave me alone Jess. Please." Natalie knew that her sister was just as stubborn as she was. She was not surprised when she felt Jessica sit on the bed beside her and stroke her hair.

"Talk to me, Nat. I'm not going anywhere."

Natalie turned over on her back and opened her eyes. They were red and puffy. "I went to The Palace to have dinner with Rex...and John was there with Evangeline. She's...she's pregnant." Even as she said the words aloud, she still had a hard time believing them. That self- centered, annoying woman--expecting a child? John--a father?

Jessica let out a shocked gasp.

"Do you see what this means, Jess? I lost John forever. I won't ever have a chance to be with him."

"But he's with..."

"I don't care who he's with! I love him." Natalie started crying again. "I still love him, Jess." And I know he loves me she thought.

"Oh. I thought...I didn't know." Jessica hugged her twin. "It's going to be okay."

"No, it's not. Nothing is going to be okay. He's having a kid with Evangeline. Who do you think he should be with--the mother of his child or a red headed mess?"

"You're not a mess. You'll find someone, Natalie. You'll fall in love again. Maybe it will be with Marcie's brother."

Natalie closed her eyes. "I'm not going to run to someone else because I'm hurting. I've done that way too many times in the past. This time is going to have to be different."

"Okay, Natalie, but if you need to talk--about anything, you can come to me. Don't close me out," Jessica said.

"I promise I won't."


End file.
